File-cabinet follower



. A.- N. THOMAS.

FILE-CABINET FOLLQWER. APPLICATION FILED DEC- 9.71929.

1,391,595. PatentedSpt. 20,1921.

A.N.Thom2-5.

Quezon-1 LRVINEN. THOMAS, OF CANTON, OHIO.

. I'ILE-GA'BINET i oLtownra Application filed December To all whom it, may concern:

' a citizen of the United States, residin' 'Be it know'n that I, ARVINE N. THOMAS, at Canton, in'the county ofStark and lowers and more particularly to'an' adjustable follower adapted to be slidably moved longitudinally within a box or drawer, such I as are ordinarily used for filing cabinets forthe reception and classification of card indexes, documents, letters or other papers in accordance with systems now generally -fol-l lowed in commercial establishments and i Y I slightly modified form of the invention'de of the invention are the pro- The objects visionof a filing cabinet box'or drawer with aslidable adjustable follower adaptedto be easily moved longitudinally within the box locked against rearward movement, the pres-' sure of the papers within the drawer against :cally locking the follower against rearward or drawer and arranged to be automatically the lower portion of the follower automatimovement when itf'is moved into engagement with said papers; while at the same time. theifollower may be instantly disen- "gaged and moved in 1a rearward direction to, allow changing ofthe papers within the box or drawer; otherobjectsbelng the projvision of a, device ofthe character mentioned which will be simple and inexpensive in construction and durable and 'e'flicient in use and operation.' v

' With these objects in viewthe invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illus-" trated in the accompanying drawings, it

- being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and details of con struction may be made without departing from the invention, as defined in the ap pended claims.

, The invention thus set forth in generali terms is illustrated a in the accompanying drawings, in' which I ,Figure 1 a perspective view of a portate of Ohio, have invented a new and useful 7 File-Cabinet Follower, of which ther'following is a specification. v

This invention relates to file cabinet fol- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 20, 192i.

9,1920: Serial 429, 44.

follower? in the'locked position therein, the

follower being shown in the unlocked positlon in dot anddashlinegandf I a portion'of the drawer and "follower ofa signed for letterfiles and similar heavy files, the follower being shown in the locked po sition. v

Similar numerals of reference indicate Fig. 5, a fragmentary perspective view of corresponding parts throughout the several views. v v Although the invention may be appliedto drawers or boxes ofgvarious sizes and proportions, for the purpose of illustrationand description the drawer of a document file cabinet of well known character and proport1ons, is'illustrated in Figs; 1' to '4inelusive. y

The drawer mayfconsist ofthe' frontl, the side walls 2, and the bottom 3, formed of a single sheet of metal bent into'cross sectional, channel shape a'sishown and the inverted U -shaped' strengthening bar .45 at'the rear end'thereof- These parts, however, are of usual construction and may ordinary and well known design. 7

In order to adapt such adrawer for my invention, the outer edges of the side'wa'lls 2 have'formed thereon the inturned, open, tubular portions 5 which'notonly strengthen the constructionand give a finished appearance thereto, but also act as guides by means of which the follower, indicated generally by the numeral 6, is mounted for longitudinal movement within the drawer. i The under'edge of each tubular portion 5 is provided with thesp'aced rack teeth 7 be of any which as stops for the follower to hold.-

the same in any desired position as will be further described. i

A plate 8 is connected to the rear face of the follower intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof by spot welding or the like and provided with the forwardlyex+ v tending portions 9, having the inturned ing the follower upon the flanged extensions a 9 and moving the upperv edge of the plate 8 rack teeth 7 thus allowing the follower to: be easily moved longitudinallywithm the.

d awe 1 f When papers are placed the forward end of the drawer in the usual manner and the follower moved forwardly into engage ment therewith, the pressure ofthe, papers against the'lower portion of thefollower will rock the same into the position shown in Fig. 1 and in fulllines lILFlgQ 4, rockinto engagementwith the'rack teeth 7 auto- ;matically locking the follower against rear ward movement as it is moved into engagement with the papers.

Inorder to release thelfollower to move it rearwardly within the drawer, 1t-1s only necessaryc for the operator to first rock the follower into the 'positionshown in Fig.

Y 2 and in dot and dash lines in Fig. 4, mova ing the upper edge of the plate 8 out of engagement with the rack teeth 7 ,in 'which position the follower may be easily moved rrearwardly-within the drawer.

It will thus be evident that "a follower is provided which is normally in position to be moved lO lgitudinally within the drawer.

-and which will automatically lock against rearward movement upon engagement with the papers filedwithin the drawer and which I may. be quickly and easily moved into position to bedisengaged from the papers by a,

rocking movement of the follower, no sepa te locking device being necessary in order to lock-or unlock the follower.

' In Fig.5 is illustrated a slightly modified form ofthe invention-adapted for use upon letter'filesand other large filing devices in Y which the parts are formed of heavier ma- I 'te-rial properly strengthened and reinforced.

a metal strip 1 1, spot welded; or otherwise 7 In this figureeach'side wall 2* of the drawer is provided at its upper end with attac d eret the pper po ti of which extends over the edge of the drawer and is that above described.

1 tacle, extensions upon said follower extendinginto said'tubula-rguides, and means adjacentto the tubular guides arranged to, be

i thesame is moved into engagement with papersinthe filing receptacle. 7

ward movement.

movement.

6. In a filing receptacle, longitudinal bent vinto rectangular, cross sectional shape forming the guide-way 5". c The follower 6 has connected thereto a plate 8 provided with the forwardly extending portions 9 having-the out turned flanges 10 upon their upper edges, the folded baclr portion-10 being provided for strengthening these flanges, The rack teeth 73* are provided upon the lower open edge of I the guide portion for engagement with the upperedge of the plate 8*. Theoperation of this form ofthe invention is the same as I claim 1 In a "filing receptacle, longitudinal,

tubular guides,'a follower within said recepautomatically engaged by thefollower when In a fil'ng receptacle, tubular guides, each having a longitudinal slot therein, rack teeth formed at one edge of said slot andrextensions upon. said follower extending intofsaid tubular guides,

the follower being normally disengaged from s'aid rack teeth and arranged to auto matically engage said rack teeth when moved into engagement with papers in said fil ng receptacle:

3Q'In a filing receptacle, longitudinal,

tubularguides, each having a longitudinal slot'therein, one edge of the wall of said slot hav ng spaced notches -therein, a follower within said receptacle and extensions upon said follower extending into said i tubular guides, the follower being arranged to be rocked into engagement ':with said notches to lock thefollower against reart. a filing receptacle, side walls .hav ingtheir-upper edges bent ,inwardly and downwardly, forming-open, tubular guides, a follower :within said receptacle, extensions upon the follower extending into said tubuengaged from the rack teeth and arranged to automatically engage said rack teeth when moved 'into, engagement with. papers in'said filing receptacle.

.5. In a filing recep said receptacle, forwardly disposed extenslons upon said'follower, andflanges upon teeth, to lock the follower against rearward '110 lar guides,.the follower being normally disg l g 7 1 5 tacle, longitudinal slotted gu1de'members, rack teeth formed 7 upon said guide members, a followerwithin said extensions extending into said slotted guide members, the'follower being arranged to be rocked into engagement with said rack tubular guides, rack teeth adjacent thereto, a follower within said receptacle and extena follower within said receptacle and extensions upon said follower extending into said sions upon said follower extending into said tubular guides, the follower being normally tubular guides, the follower being normally disengaged from said rack teeth and ar- 5 disengaged from said rack teeth and arranged to berocked into engagement there- 15 ranged to automatically engage said rack with to lock the follower against forward teeth when moved into engagement with pa-'- movement. pers in said filing receptacle. In testimony that I claim the above, I

7 In a filing receptacle, longitudinal have hereunto subscribed 111 name.

10 tubular guides, rack teeth adjacent thereto, 7 ARVINE THOMAS. 

